Esters of .alpha.-fluoroacrylic acid are already known. Thus the phenyl ester of .alpha.-fluoroacrylic acid is prepared by reacting ethyl monofluoroacetate in the presence of sodium ethylate with ethyl oxalate, converting the sodium .alpha.-fluoroacrytate obtained into a-fluoroacryloyl chloride by means of thionyl chloride and then esterifying this product with phenol (German Patent No. 2,950,491=U.S. Pat. No. 4,297,466). It is a disadvantage in this process that ethyl monofluoroacetate, which is highly toxic, has to be employed. Phenyl .alpha.-fluoroacrylate can be polymerized and is used for the preparation of polymers which, at room temperature, are translucent or transparent or light-transmissive, colorless solids.
Other esters of .alpha.-fluoroacrylic acid, in particular butyl .alpha.-fluoroacrylate, can be prepared by acid hydrolysis of the appropriate .alpha.-hydroxymethyl-.alpha.-fluoromalonate followed by decarboxylation of the hydrolysis product with simultaneous elimination of alcohol (British Patent No. 1,115,287). This method is, however, only described for the example of butyl .alpha.-fluoroacrylate; the ester rapidly polymerizes under the influence of light.